


Kingdom of Crows: The Golden Mask

by Esselle



Series: Kingdom of Crows [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (but sfw), Alternate Universe - Medieval, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Kinktober 2017, M/M, Masks, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-11-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 01:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12806349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Esselle/pseuds/Esselle
Summary: 'Mask or not, Kageyama knew who it was without a doubt; there weren't many people that small, with hair that red."What are youdoinghere?" he hissed, as Hinata stepped closer to him, to take his hands and fall easily into another dance. "You can't be in the castle!""Where there's parties, there's food!" Hinata sang, as though that were good enough reason for risking his very life.'--Hinata's rebellion has been keeping him and Kageyama apart, but a masquerade ball provides a perfect opportunity around their separation, however brief.





	Kingdom of Crows: The Golden Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Written for 2017 Kinktober #16: Masks
> 
> Context: this takes place in their early teen years, before Hinata has won the title of Thief King -- his rebellion is in its early stages, and still frequently thwarted at every turn. Kageyama has not yet been heavily involved.

Masquerade balls were, Kageyama thought, an unfortunate symptom of castle life.

They were entirely frivolous, but didn't come bundled with any actual fun activities, like sports or practice duels or horseback riding. There was only dancing, dancing, and more dancing, of which everyone was expected to take part. There was, on the positive side, the food, which was always sumptuous and abundant. But every time he tried to get near the banquet tables, he was inevitably cornered by yet one more person, seeking the attention of the young prince, asking him to join them for a quick dance.

Then they would talk. They all talked, and talked, about things he didn't care about; court gossip and city building plans and prospects of marriage, though he hoped that was a long way off yet. All of it was boring, but the worst part of it were the masks.

There wasn't a single uncovered human face in the hall. They were hidden by gilding or feathers or metal, animal and celestial and abstract, with just the eyes peering out, glinting from the holes. They whirled around him in their endless dancing, emotionless and still.

Kageyama was not very good at reading people. It was a skill many people told him he would have to learn, before he became king. For once he wore the crown, he would be able to take no one at their word. All would want something from him, but be willing to give very little in return.

But Kageyama found it hard to decipher meaning from eyes and voice and body language. And on nights like these, with masks obscuring the faces of all those he talked to, it became harder than ever. All was just words, and words, and noise; laughter too loud, people dancing too close, the smell of wine too strong. He wanted, more than anything, to escape.

"Why don't you just leave?" someone asked him, and he was shaken out of his thoughts. He turned.

Standing in front of him was someone new, wearing a mask that seemed in opposition to his own simple black one. Their mask was gold, covering the top half of the face, with a pair of soaring antlers that tapered into wicked points. In between the mask's eye slots was a brilliant golden sun.

Kageyama gaped at them. Mask or not, he knew who it was without a doubt; there weren't many people that small, with hair that red.

"What are you _doing_ here?" he hissed, as Hinata stepped closer to him, to take his hands and fall easily into another dance. "You can't be in the castle!"

"Where there's parties, there's food!" Hinata sang, as though that were good enough reason for risking his very life. Belatedly, Kageyama realized that food always qualified as a good reason for Hinata, whether he was stealing for himself or others.

"If they realize who you are—" Kageyama started to say.

"No one will recognize me," Hinata reassured him. "I'm just a friendly deer."

"Stag," Kageyama corrected.

Deer were docile, easily frightened creatures. It was stags who had the vicious horns, who might run someone through if they threatened the herd. Hinata was no tender doe.

"None of the guards even noticed me," Hinata said, speaking softly. "I snuck past them, and I came here, because I could see you tonight."

Kageyama sighed heavily. If Hinata was discovered, they would question who he was, first; but his hair, his luminous eyes, and his stature (and the infiltration of the castle) would make anyone suspicious instantly of his true identity: the fae thief, enemy of the kingdom. The boy had made himself very popular in Corvus in recent times, popular enough to earn a one way trip to the executioner if caught.

Hinata grinned up at him. The shape of the mask brought attention to his lips, pink and mischievous and full below the harsh gold. Kageyama knew just how they felt against his own.

"Fine," he said gruffly, and the grin widened. "You can stay— _only_ for a little while."

Hinata spun him in a circle for that, joyfully. "Then for my next trick," he said, "I'll convince you to run away with me!"

"What—" Kageyama started to ask, because that was not inconspicuous in the slightest, but Hinata yanked him along by the hand, straight through the crowd. It would have looked more suspicious to struggle, so Kageyama did not. Furiously, he whispered, "Are you mad?!"

Hinata laughed and didn't let go or stop. He probably was a little mad, Kageyama knew. But then, they both were.

In a moment they were outside in the cool air, a stark contrast to the overwarm hall. Kageyama gulped down great breaths of it, feeling relieved, and vastly less on edge. Hinata slowed, then.

"And now you've escaped," he said with a smirk. "You rebel."

Kageyama pushed at him. "You made it sound like we were going to leave entirely."

"Because you'll believe anything," Hinata said, shoving back.

"I've learned not to count out your stupidest ideas."

They elbowed at each other violently for a little while, grunting now and again, only stopping when a stately group of women in huge headdresses drifted by them.

"Come on," Hinata said, grabbing Kageyama's hand to pull him along again. Kageyama stared down at their hands, fitted together. He squeezed Hinata's a little tighter, and Hinata, surprisingly, didn't let go.

He got farther and farther from the hall, until they found themselves up on the castle ramparts. Stealthily, they dodged the guards posted for watch, hiding around the corner where they couldn't be seen.

"Told you we'd make it," Hinata said, sticking his tongue out. "I'm good at this."

"Right," Kageyama said skeptically. "Remind me, how goes the rebellion?"

"You say that like you assume it _isn't_ going well," Hinata said, cheeks rounding out in what Kageyama recognized as a pout. He scoffed. What kind of rebellion leader _pouted?_ Aware that Hinata was probably armed, while he was not, Kageyama kept that thought to himself.

"It's never going well," he said instead. Perhaps not much better.

But Hinata sighed. Carefully, mindful of his gilded horns, he leaned his masked forehead against Kageyama's chest. "It'd go better if you were with me."

Kageyama blinked. It was… incredibly unusual, to hear Hinata admit something like this. Admit he might need something from someone.

"Hinata…" he said hesitantly, but Hinata cut him off.

"Let me see your face," he said softly.

He reached up, before Kageyama could say more, and ran his fingers over the black mask—traced the patterns carefully, over Kageyama's brows and cheeks and down his nose. Staring all the while, into Kageyama's eyes. Finally, Hinata lifted it gently away. And then he touched his fingers to Kageyama's bare skin, exposed now, and Kageyama's eyelids fluttered, as his breath came short. Hinata had touched him like this before, except _everywhere;_ and it always made Kageyama feel laid completely open.

"That's better," Hinata murmured, before he took Kageyama's face fully in his hands, cupping his cheeks in his palms. He pushed up on his toes—and he kissed Kageyama, slotting their lips together gently, like perhaps Kageyama had forgotten that indescribable feeling.

So Kageyama wrapped his arms around him to return the kiss, and all the fire behind it, as earnestly as he could.

He wanted Hinata's hands on him, he wanted Hinata's body against his, he wanted to hold onto that warmth and never let go. But if any of that were possible, Hinata wouldn't have had to come on the one night when nobody would question him hiding his face.

Suddenly, there were raised voices, shouting.

_"I think he's gone that way!"_

_"Your highness! Are you out here?"_

They broke apart, startled. Hinata looked furious, then frustrated, then sad.

"You… you have to go," Kageyama said. "Now, before—"

"I _know,"_ Hinata spat, and then, seeing Kageyama's remorse, "I'll come back."

"No, you won't," Kageyama said. "But I'll come to you. Your rebellion needs a good kick in the pants."

Hinata managed to laugh at this, brushing his fingers over Kageyama's lips. There was the clatter of armored feet on the rampart stones outside, and Kageyama glanced around the corner, beginning to feel alarmed. The guards were mere feet away.

"Get out of here, Hina—"

He turned back, but Hinata was gone.

"I've found him—" The guards had turned the corner. "Your highness! Your father has been—"

"Sorry," Kageyama said, not very sorry at all. "I just needed—a breath of fresh air."

As he let them lead him back to the hall, he realized something. He hadn't been able to see Hinata's face without his mask, though it had been so long since they'd last been together. This was Hinata's fault, surely; and Kageyama vowed to accuse him of it the next time they met. Newly determined, he vowed to himself: soon.

Soon, he'd breathe freely once again.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like to check out more 2017 KageHina Kinktober stories, you can find them all in **[this collection](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/kagehinakinktober2017/profile)**. 
> 
> The 2016 collection is [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/kagehinakinktober2016/profile)! 
> 
> [I'm [@esselley](http://esselley.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, [@Esselle_hq](https://twitter.com/Esselle_hq) on Twitter]


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